Director Mai Tham: Brave Soldiers Reenact a Sacrifice

As the person behind the emotional, authentic and epic footage of Brave Soldier - the first action-packed reality TV show about the People's Public Security force, general director Mai Tham shared that it was both a challenge and an inspiration, because both she and the crew determined that they were not making a show but recreating a sacrifice.

At the press conference to launch the program Brave Soldier, general director Mai Tham appeared simply among the guest list consisting of all male artists. She said that the difficulties and advantages of accepting to participate in the program can be summed up in two words: trust. That is the trust of the producer, the artists participating in the program, and the audience.

In particular, the trust of the Ministry of Public Security , the officers and soldiers who supported the training and accompanied her throughout the program helped her and her team overcome all difficulties. But that trust also put her under pressure: how to make a serious but still entertaining program, truthful but still safe.

In a conversation with SGGP reporter, director Mai Tham mentioned many interesting stories about Brave Soldiers , as well as his career associated with many famous programs: 2 Days 1 Night, Acceleration Arena ...

* REPORTER: Why did you accept to be the general director of the program Brave Soldier? What made you believe that you are suitable for this program?

- Director MAI THAM: I accepted because I felt this was a special and valuable opportunity. There have been many entertainment programs, but a program with community elements, recreating the real work of the police force that is both challenging and inspiring is very rare.

I believe I am suitable not because I am “better”, but because I always approach work with the spirit of listening and learning. I have experience coordinating large projects, handling situations flexibly, and especially have a very professional team. Most importantly, I work with the criteria of respecting the truth from the real people behind each story and working with the research team to turn those stories into suitable material for the program.

* Through the first episodes with mixed reactions from the audience, what makes you satisfied and what do you regret?

- I am pleased that the program has touched the audience's emotions. Many young people shared that watching Brave Soldiers helps them understand more about the hardships that soldiers have to go through every day. That is what my team and I want most.

My regret is that we have not been able to tell all the wonderful stories that we have been exposed to. Due to the limited time of broadcasting, due to the business of the industry, there are emotional moments that we have had to omit or have not been able to convey in full. But I believe that with each episode, the program will become more and more complete.

* Although you have done many large-scale reality TV shows, with a unique format like Brave Soldier, what new challenges do you face?

- The biggest challenge is to make it real but still ensure safety, and to inspire without shouting. Regular reality TV shows can stage many emotional elements. But with Brave Soldier, everything must be based on real data, real expertise, and importantly, not to distort details related to the image of the police force.

Besides, operating a filming set with more than 70 cameras and hundreds of people in real-life conditions and environments is a big challenge.

* With such a large staff and technical staff, how do you coordinate smoothly from the field to post-production?

- Honestly, without a professional, close-knit, understanding and highly disciplined team, it would be very difficult to operate. We work like special forces: each group has its own mission, its own "commander", each position has a clear role, assigned tasks in advance. Everything is meticulously planned, even rehearsed if necessary.

In post-production, the editing team had to “relive” each moment to choose the right details to convey the emotions. We told each other: we are not editing a program, we are recreating a sacrifice. That requires absolute precision.

* How do you balance entertainment and education , especially when there are requests from the Ministry of Public Security? What do you think about some comments that say there are inappropriate comedic situations?

- I believe that an educational program does not necessarily have to be 100% serious. Laughter, if it comes from real situations and real emotions, is also a way for the audience to get closer to the image of the soldier.

However, we are always careful with every detail. Every laugh must be natural, not distort the nature of the profession and not lower the morale of the soldiers. We take into account all comments from the audience to make appropriate adjustments in the next episodes.

* As a female director, but associated with programs that focus on large-scale movements and challenges, how did those relationships come to you?

- And maybe because I am a woman, I always find the “softness” in things that seem “very hard”. I find human stories in the physical journey, find empathy between artist and soldier. That is what keeps me with shows like that.

* Mai Tham of today is associated with reality TV. So who will Mai Tham of tomorrow be?

- I still want to be a storyteller, whether through game shows, movies or any other form as long as the story is emotional, valuable, conveys positive messages and touches the hearts of the public.

I also hope that in the future I can accompany and support young people who do this job sincerely. Because I believe that when a young person loves human stories, the programs they create will always have vitality.

Performed by VAN TUAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dao-dien-mai-tham-chien-si-qua-cam-tai-hien-mot-su-hy-sinh-post812909.html